Zombie knife and machete amnesty: What you need to know

As of 24 September 2024, changes to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 will make it illegal to possess ‘zombie style’ knives and machetes

As a result of the change, which is supported by the NPCC Knife Crime Working Group, it will also be against the law to manufacture, import, sell or supply these items.

Ahead of the change in legislation, the government is running a UK-wide amnesty – which will run from Monday (26 August) until Monday 23 September 2024.

Anyone who currently has any of these items should be encouraged to hand this in at their nearest designated police station. If, after 24 September, you are found in possession of one of these knives or machetes, you could be prosecuted.

In Derbyshire, you can hand these into the enquiry offices of:

St Mary’s Wharf Police Station (Prime Parkway, Derby, DE1 3AB)

Chesterfield North Divisional Headquarters (Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, S40 1QP)

Buxton Police Station (The Silverlands, Buxton, SK17 6QJ)

The Government is also running a compensation scheme during this amnesty. Find out if the items you are handing in qualify for the scheme on the gov.uk website.

Definition of a ‘zombie style’ knife

A zombie style knife is a bladed weapon with:

• A plain cutting edge
• A sharp pointed end, and
• A blade of over eight inches long

Which also has one or more of the following:

• A serrated cutting edge over two inches long
• More than one hole in the blade
• Spikes
• More than two sharp points in the blade

Frequently asked questions

What weapons will become illegal in this change?

The weapon sometimes known as a ‘zombie-style’ knife or ‘zombie-style’ machete, being a bladed article with—

• (i) a plain cutting edge;
• (ii) a sharp pointed end; and
• (iii) a blade of over eight inches in length (the length of the blade being the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade),

which also has one or more of the following features, the specified features are:

• — (a) a serrated cutting edge (other than a serrated cutting edge of up to two inches next to the handle);
• (b) more than one hole in the blade;
• (c) spikes;
• (d) more than two sharp points in the blade other than:
  • (a) a sharp point where the angle between the edges which create the point is an angle of at least 90 degrees (where there is a curved edge, the angle will be measured by reference to the tangent of the curve);
  • (b) a sharp point on the cutting edge of the blade near the handle.

How much compensation can I claim?

• The standard compensation amount for each surrendered weapon will be £10, though applicants will be able to claim that the value of their weapon exceeds this amount.
• For claims for individual items worth over £10, individuals will need to provide acceptable evidence of the value of the item (e.g., purchase receipt).
• No compensation will be payable in respect of a claim where the total is less than £30. This means that if you have one item to surrender you will not be eligible for compensation, but if you have three items at £10 each, you will be eligible to claim £30 of compensation for the three items.
• Claims for compensation must be made at the same time as surrendering the weapon.

How do I know if I am eligible for compensation?

• To be eligible to claim compensation for one of the ‘zombie-style’ knives or ‘zombie-style’ machetes set out in you must be the legal owner of the item and, where possible, should provide acceptable proof that you lawfully own the item, such as, a receipt of purchase.
• You will need to sign Part D - Declaration of the claim form confirming that you are the legal owner of the item and that it was lawfully acquired, when completing the ‘Zombie-Style’ Knives and ‘Zombie-Style’ Machetes Surrender and Compensation Scheme Claim Form.

How do I transport the weapons to a police station?

• You must take all reasonable steps to make any item(s) that you are surrendering safe to handle whilst travelling to the police station and whilst on police premises.
• Items must be contained in a manner that allows them to be transported without causing distress or alarm to other members of the public, including members of the public who might be at the designated police station.
• Items must be wrapped up and placed in a sealed bag or box. They must not be carried openly at any time.
• Carrying bladed articles in public without a good reason or lawful authority is an offence. Carrying the items according to these instructions and accompanied by the claim form will allow you to claim that you have a ‘good reason,’ namely that you are about to surrender the articles at your nearest designated police station, if stopped by the police. Once in the police station, you must not take out the item until you are requested to do so by a police officer or member of police staff

What if I miss the deadline to surrender my weapon/weapons?

• If you are still in possession of one of these items after 23:59 on 23 September 2024, your possession will become unlawful unless you have a defence. Once the surrender scheme closes, you will still be able to surrender the items to the police, but you might be liable for prosecution having possessed it, and you will not be able to claim compensation for the loss of the item.
• It will not be possible to seek compensation at any time after you have surrendered your item, or at any time after the surrender and compensation scheme closes. The scheme will start on 26 August 2024, 00:00hrs and close on 23 September 2024 at 23:59hrs.

Will this ban go far enough to tackle knife crime?

• There are a number of different routes to tackle knife crime and reducing the accessibility of weapons is a key one. We work closely with Government to determine how legislation and regulation can support us in tackling knife crime, and played a key role in the public consultation about these new measures.

How quickly will officers be trained in this new legislation? How will they be able to identify what knives are prohibited?

• We are working at pace to train officers and ensure they have detailed knowledge of these prohibited weapons. The changes to the Offensive Weapons Act in 2019 was an opportunity to learn and support our officers in this legislation and we will be doing all we can to ensure we’re ready for 24 September.

What about swords?

• We are always working with Government to determine different ways we can reduce the supply of knives and remain open to exploring and reviewing options. We understand that the Government intends to ban Ninja Swords, officials are currently working on proposals to take this forward.